Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Almost here...
Here's a Brennen update. On Monday Sara and Chris went to the Dr. with great hopes that she would have dialated more. No such luck. So I went back with her yesterday because she was scheduled for an ultrasound to see how big the baby was. He is now 6 lbs. 14 oz. The ultrasound revealed that he is laying face up. I sure hope he turns over! His head is really low and his little feet are kicking around Sara's ribs. He had his legs crossed and his hands were laying on his belly. It was so cool! Well, then she went for her checkup. This time she was dialated between 2 - 3 centimeters. The Dr. told her to come back on Thursday at 9:00 AM. If she is still dialated 2-3 centimters, he is going to admit her and I guess give her the medicine that brings on labor. We could have the baby this week!!! Like TOMORROW!!! I'll be up early getting my walk out of the way and then getting ready in case she does get admitted. She wants me to be there and of course, that's where I need to be! This is so exciting!!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Are you easily shocked?
I know, I go almost a month without hardly a post and now 3 in one day. This next post is quite a story. I titled it "Are you easily shocked?" because this question now will forever burn in my mind and my answer will always be "YES!".
Since summer began, I've been getting up and walking. I've worked from 3 miles to now 5 and now look forward to my walks. This morning was no different than usual. Roll out of bed, brush my teeth, pull up my hair, put on my walking clothes, grab the iPod and out the door! Everything was just like any other day until I walked by a house about a 1/2 mile from our house. The man that lives there is always out in his yard tending to his flowers and plants. I've said hello many times and commented on how hard he works in the yard. Well, today (WHY???) I decided to ask him about a plant in his yard. He was thrilled and gave me a tour of the front yard and told me what every plant was. Finally, I was about to leave and resume my walk when he asked me why I have been working out. I answered "to loose weight". He then went on to tell me that he would like to share his before and after pictures and tell me about his diet. Innocent enough. Right? You'd think.
Well, I followed him just inside his house and waited for him to go get the before/after pictures. He walked into his kitchen and back out again and then came the question, "Are you easily shocked?". I really thought that he just preparing me to see a messy kitchen. I said, "no" and he waved me into the kitchen.
MOST people have pictures of family or drawings made my kids but not this guy. He had a before picture of him and his wife and then about 3 of him... STARK-RAVING NAKED in his backyard!!!! Was I shocked? YES! At this point, I didn't even know his NAME!!! Yes, I saw him NAKED before I even knew his name! I walked out of the kitchen and remarked that he had indeed lost a lot of weight! Then he grabbed his computer and began to print me a copy of his diet. This is when he decided to ask me my name. I guess in his world, once someone sees you naked you should know their name! Turns out his wife is also named Wanda. I would thought this was a line if I hadn't seen her name on the computer!
Shocked! Yes! How does one get out of such a situation? All I could think of was, how the heck was I going to tell Geoff about this! I never felt that I was in any danger, although I did note that I had my cell phone hooked to my shirt. Had I felt I was in danger I would have bolted and ran not walked away.
Well, he printed me the diet and went to the kitchen again. I was waiting in the living room and he called me back in the kitchen. He was pouring me a green tea and wanted me to tell him how much honey I needed to sweeten it. Ugh... back to the nudity on the fridge and Yes, he pointed it out again! Let me just say, he is proud of his weight loss. Maybe it is like those women who get boob-jobs and feel it necessary to show everyone they know. He lost weight and wants to show it off. (maybe... but more likely it's creepy... sleezy... gross!)
Next thing I know, he is asking me how much weight I have lost and when I said 13 lbs. and that it was going slow. (It's taken me 2 1/2 months) His comment for that was that slowly was best. Then off comes his shirt to show me why! He points to his belly button and says "what do you see?". At this point, seeing how I've seen his stuff and all, I was honest an said, "it's a little saggy." Yes, that is what he was trying to show me. The quicker you loose weight the more your skin will sag. He lost over 100 pounds.
Finally, I leave with a homegrown lemon, a bag of homegrown plums, some lipton green tea and a print off of a diet. Not to mention a vision burned into my brain!
I immediately called Geoff and shared my experience. He wanted to know why I hadn't learned the "don't talk to strangers" rule when I was little and if he was going to have to hire a body guard. Needless to say, I only got a mile in today. I hope the stress from the "visit" is enough to make up for the other 4 I missed.
My sister wanted to know how I could stand there and not act shocked. It's easy. I do what has helped me my whole teaching career. Ignore. Ignore unwanted behavior and usually it will go away. Now the question I HAVE is "how will I ever go on my normal walking path again???" I have to drive by this house every time I go to mine. Ever wonder what is going on in the backyard of your neighbors? I've learned, you never know. You may have a nudist living next to you! And most importantly, I've learned to always answer "YES" to the question, "Are you easily shocked?" And I think from now on, I may not even wave at my "neighbors".
Oh, I almost forgot the part about when he asked me to feel his arm. It was oily. This guy rubs olive oil all over himself every day to help ease the aging process. He suggested I give it a try as well. He said that every day at 3:00 he had a beer and told me to come join him anytime. Somehow, I don't think I'll be joining him. I really stopped because I just knew he enjoyed his garden and I wanted to bring him a flower that my mom grows that blooms at night. Somehow, I think when Mom hears this story, she won't give me a plant to give him for anything. Weirdness... this was a surreal experience to say the least!!
(Disclaimer: We really do live in a nice neighborhood. It's one of the nicest ones for schools and is very quiet. This was NOT the norm!)
Since summer began, I've been getting up and walking. I've worked from 3 miles to now 5 and now look forward to my walks. This morning was no different than usual. Roll out of bed, brush my teeth, pull up my hair, put on my walking clothes, grab the iPod and out the door! Everything was just like any other day until I walked by a house about a 1/2 mile from our house. The man that lives there is always out in his yard tending to his flowers and plants. I've said hello many times and commented on how hard he works in the yard. Well, today (WHY???) I decided to ask him about a plant in his yard. He was thrilled and gave me a tour of the front yard and told me what every plant was. Finally, I was about to leave and resume my walk when he asked me why I have been working out. I answered "to loose weight". He then went on to tell me that he would like to share his before and after pictures and tell me about his diet. Innocent enough. Right? You'd think.
Well, I followed him just inside his house and waited for him to go get the before/after pictures. He walked into his kitchen and back out again and then came the question, "Are you easily shocked?". I really thought that he just preparing me to see a messy kitchen. I said, "no" and he waved me into the kitchen.
MOST people have pictures of family or drawings made my kids but not this guy. He had a before picture of him and his wife and then about 3 of him... STARK-RAVING NAKED in his backyard!!!! Was I shocked? YES! At this point, I didn't even know his NAME!!! Yes, I saw him NAKED before I even knew his name! I walked out of the kitchen and remarked that he had indeed lost a lot of weight! Then he grabbed his computer and began to print me a copy of his diet. This is when he decided to ask me my name. I guess in his world, once someone sees you naked you should know their name! Turns out his wife is also named Wanda. I would thought this was a line if I hadn't seen her name on the computer!
Shocked! Yes! How does one get out of such a situation? All I could think of was, how the heck was I going to tell Geoff about this! I never felt that I was in any danger, although I did note that I had my cell phone hooked to my shirt. Had I felt I was in danger I would have bolted and ran not walked away.
Well, he printed me the diet and went to the kitchen again. I was waiting in the living room and he called me back in the kitchen. He was pouring me a green tea and wanted me to tell him how much honey I needed to sweeten it. Ugh... back to the nudity on the fridge and Yes, he pointed it out again! Let me just say, he is proud of his weight loss. Maybe it is like those women who get boob-jobs and feel it necessary to show everyone they know. He lost weight and wants to show it off. (maybe... but more likely it's creepy... sleezy... gross!)
Next thing I know, he is asking me how much weight I have lost and when I said 13 lbs. and that it was going slow. (It's taken me 2 1/2 months) His comment for that was that slowly was best. Then off comes his shirt to show me why! He points to his belly button and says "what do you see?". At this point, seeing how I've seen his stuff and all, I was honest an said, "it's a little saggy." Yes, that is what he was trying to show me. The quicker you loose weight the more your skin will sag. He lost over 100 pounds.
Finally, I leave with a homegrown lemon, a bag of homegrown plums, some lipton green tea and a print off of a diet. Not to mention a vision burned into my brain!
I immediately called Geoff and shared my experience. He wanted to know why I hadn't learned the "don't talk to strangers" rule when I was little and if he was going to have to hire a body guard. Needless to say, I only got a mile in today. I hope the stress from the "visit" is enough to make up for the other 4 I missed.
My sister wanted to know how I could stand there and not act shocked. It's easy. I do what has helped me my whole teaching career. Ignore. Ignore unwanted behavior and usually it will go away. Now the question I HAVE is "how will I ever go on my normal walking path again???" I have to drive by this house every time I go to mine. Ever wonder what is going on in the backyard of your neighbors? I've learned, you never know. You may have a nudist living next to you! And most importantly, I've learned to always answer "YES" to the question, "Are you easily shocked?" And I think from now on, I may not even wave at my "neighbors".
Oh, I almost forgot the part about when he asked me to feel his arm. It was oily. This guy rubs olive oil all over himself every day to help ease the aging process. He suggested I give it a try as well. He said that every day at 3:00 he had a beer and told me to come join him anytime. Somehow, I don't think I'll be joining him. I really stopped because I just knew he enjoyed his garden and I wanted to bring him a flower that my mom grows that blooms at night. Somehow, I think when Mom hears this story, she won't give me a plant to give him for anything. Weirdness... this was a surreal experience to say the least!!
(Disclaimer: We really do live in a nice neighborhood. It's one of the nicest ones for schools and is very quiet. This was NOT the norm!)
Brennen Update!
Baby Brennen is preparing to make his appearance. Sara went to the Dr. this week and was dilated 2 cms, 50% effaced, and his head is engaging. She has had the most pops and pains all week! At this point, the Dr. said that she would most likely have him before the 5th of July. This is great news. I was having such a hard time waiting for July 14th (yes, I'm a selfish Grandma). Well, yesterday she was having cramps and discomfort so they asked her to come in to be checked again. This time the Dr. told her to come back on Monday and if she has dilated to 3 cms. he is going to admit her. Is it possible that we may have a baby by next Monday night??? This is soooo exciting! Sara has done so well with her pregnancy. Today, I went over and helped her do some cleaning to make sure the house is nice and clean before she goes into labor. She's all packed for the hospital and Chris is about jumping out of his skin every time he gets a call from Sara at work. I sure hope she does like I did and has a quick labor. I went into labor with here about 5 pm. We got to the hospital about 6:30 and I had her at 9:05. I was too far along to have any meds and honestly never thought about it. It was over in no time. I pray Sara will be so lucky! I just can't wait to see his little face and count those tiny fingers and toes!
Two Showers... check!
Well, summer sure is ticking away. Last Saturday, my family hosted two showers at my house. The first one was for Sara and it began at 1:00. As soon as everyone cleared out, we revamped the food and prepared for a Jack and Jill shower for my niece, Kim. She was going to be in town for Sara's shower and we wanted to do something for her so I just bit the bullet and played host for two! I really did enjoy everything once the day got here but the preparation leadig up to the big day was craziness.
I did have fun making things for the shower. I made my first diaper cake. It turned out so nice!
And while I was at it, Mom helped me make a diaper wreath for the door.
The biggest fun though was making a "Daddy's Dirty Diaper Tool Kit" and a "New Hubby's PMS Survival Tool Kit". I saw the diaper tool kit on the internet and just knew that me and mom could make our own. Sure enough, Mom jumped right on it and had a pattern made up the same afternoon that I showed it to her! I had to get pictures of the kids wearing their kits.
Both Sara and Kim were blessed with a nice turnout and received all kinds of gifts! Kim's wedding is set for July 14th (Sara's due date!). I think this conflict is funny because they came into the world that way. I had Sara on Labor Day in 1982. Just 3 days later my sister had Kim on my Dad's birthday. Sara was my first and only child (for now anyhow!) and I had gotten pregnant ahead of my sister, Shirley. I had already picked out the name Sara and low and behold so did Shirley. This began a race to see who would deliver first and who had a girl. (I had an ultra sound back then but they wouldn't tell me if they could determine the sex). Needless to say, I have the Sara. When Shirley had Kim, she didn't think she looked like a Sara anyhow. It's a funny story to remember. I'm so proud of both of these girls.
I did have fun making things for the shower. I made my first diaper cake. It turned out so nice!
And while I was at it, Mom helped me make a diaper wreath for the door.
The biggest fun though was making a "Daddy's Dirty Diaper Tool Kit" and a "New Hubby's PMS Survival Tool Kit". I saw the diaper tool kit on the internet and just knew that me and mom could make our own. Sure enough, Mom jumped right on it and had a pattern made up the same afternoon that I showed it to her! I had to get pictures of the kids wearing their kits.
Both Sara and Kim were blessed with a nice turnout and received all kinds of gifts! Kim's wedding is set for July 14th (Sara's due date!). I think this conflict is funny because they came into the world that way. I had Sara on Labor Day in 1982. Just 3 days later my sister had Kim on my Dad's birthday. Sara was my first and only child (for now anyhow!) and I had gotten pregnant ahead of my sister, Shirley. I had already picked out the name Sara and low and behold so did Shirley. This began a race to see who would deliver first and who had a girl. (I had an ultra sound back then but they wouldn't tell me if they could determine the sex). Needless to say, I have the Sara. When Shirley had Kim, she didn't think she looked like a Sara anyhow. It's a funny story to remember. I'm so proud of both of these girls.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
School's Out, Summer's In
Well actually school has been out since the 25th of May. I've been on summer break for a week now. I'm staying very busy helping out with Sara's baby shower and with a bridal shower for my niece, Kim. Both showers will be at our house on the 16th. We're doing Sara's shower first and then Kim's. Craziness I know but there was a method behind the madness. We wanted my sister's family to be able to come to Sara's shower and we wanted to throw a shower for Kim. It was too hard to get them here twice. So it was for convenience purposes = to craZiNESS!!
Referrals came out this week. It was another month covering only 6 disappointing days. Well, disappointing for those of us who have waiting so long already. There appears to be no end in sight to the waiting increase. I'm staying up beat and managing to not be depressed or upset but I do have some pet peeves. I'm tired of people telling me that Lexi will be worth the wait. We know this but we're sick of the wait and how many times do we need to hear it??
We were asked the by an acquaintance the other day if we had heard anything about the baby. I think people ask because they are just making conversation but it's old. Had we known that it would take this long, we would have not told anyone of our intentions. The thing is there is more to our life than just this adoption. There has to be other things to talk about. We have to enjoy life for the NOW. Not of the what it WILL become. Being upset about waiting takes away from our enjoyment of the now.
I guess anyone reading this that knows us just needs to know this... the waiting is not fun. Our best guess of when we will get a referral will be sometime between March and November of 2008. We'll keep everyone informed but please let's enjoy our life for the present. We'll get Lexi in God's perfect time.
Referrals came out this week. It was another month covering only 6 disappointing days. Well, disappointing for those of us who have waiting so long already. There appears to be no end in sight to the waiting increase. I'm staying up beat and managing to not be depressed or upset but I do have some pet peeves. I'm tired of people telling me that Lexi will be worth the wait. We know this but we're sick of the wait and how many times do we need to hear it??
We were asked the by an acquaintance the other day if we had heard anything about the baby. I think people ask because they are just making conversation but it's old. Had we known that it would take this long, we would have not told anyone of our intentions. The thing is there is more to our life than just this adoption. There has to be other things to talk about. We have to enjoy life for the NOW. Not of the what it WILL become. Being upset about waiting takes away from our enjoyment of the now.
I guess anyone reading this that knows us just needs to know this... the waiting is not fun. Our best guess of when we will get a referral will be sometime between March and November of 2008. We'll keep everyone informed but please let's enjoy our life for the present. We'll get Lexi in God's perfect time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)